Try as we might to avoid it, sooner or later our electromechanical inventions are going to fail. However, with a little planning and intelligent design, they can fail forward. That is, they can fail in a way that minimizes adverse outcomes.

I recently acquired a handheld loop magnifier from eBay for $8. Not a bad deal, considering it has glass optics and provides about 30X magnification. Of course, I could have picked up a more versatile USB microscope for about $40 and have the full power of PhotoShop and other image processing software at my disposal. Thing is, I already own two rather high-end USB microscopes.

I’m just off the phone with the head of a software company who heard about a new robotics initiative funded by the DoD. Turns out the government wants to push the limits of robotics use in medicine, and has the funds to make it happen.

]]>How Sleeping Ducks Can Teach Us a Thing or Twotag:servomagazine.com,2014:index.php/mindiron/index/9.20252014-10-23T16:53:27Z2014-10-23T10:55:29ZMichael KaudzeNovember 2014
By Bryan Bergeron

Sleep. We do it. Most forms of life do it. And yet, it’s poorly understood. Thanks to functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), modern medicine can explain some of what happens during sleep, such as moving short-term into long-term memory. Still, we can’t explain the basics, such as why individual cells have their own internal clocks.

I recently joined an Iaido club to learn how to wield a Japanese long sword, or Katana. My first challenge was to learn to accelerate the sword quickly, and then stop it before the blade hit the floor or a limb. For some reason, this didn’t come naturally, and I quickly formulated a plan to mount an accelerometer on the sensei’s sword and one on mine to compare the acceleration patterns. Before I could put the plan into action, I discovered that I was going about it all wrong.

]]>Passing the Turing Test, but Not the Sniff Testtag:servomagazine.com,2014:index.php/mindiron/index/9.19772014-08-26T17:16:06Z2014-08-26T11:19:07ZMichael KaudzeSeptember 2014
By Bryan Bergeron

As I’m sure you’re aware, the program “Eugene Goostman” managed to fool 10 out of 30 judges in a subjective Turing Test. Although we can argue about whether the bar was set to low or whether the judges were actually paying attention to the answers provided by the program, it’s clear that passing the Turing Test is necessary but insufficient in approximating human intelligence.

Machine intelligence that is in some way superior to human intelligence is often touted as the ultimate goal of AI research and development. Machines have long been capable of making decisions and, in many cases, these decisions are superior to those made by average humans. A common GPS wouldn’t pass the Touring Test, but if I were lost in some big city, I’d refer to it before asking a random biped on the street.

Designing robots — especially long-lived ones — involves making numerous assumptions. For example, there’s the availability of a standard power source such as AA batteries or a 11.1V Lithium battery pack. Then, there’s the operating environment. If we’re talking carpet roamer, then it might be shag carpet up to, say, two inches thick.

]]>Just Because You Can ...tag:servomagazine.com,2014:index.php/mindiron/index/9.19142014-05-22T18:01:53Z2014-05-22T12:03:54ZMichael KaudzeJune 2014
By Bryan Bergeron

I’m just back from an early morning run; snow is still on the ground in Boston. The run was good and the weather perfect, but the most notable event was the traffic. Imagine at the start of rush hour, a middle-aged man pulling out in the middle of the congested highway on a plastic ice chest. Granted, it had four wheels and headlights, and other than stock handles, no bumpers, plus no horn. He caused quite a scene with cars screeching to a halt to allow for his top speed of maybe 20 mph. I assume the chest was filled with a pair of car batteries and a motor. I didn’t see a steering mechanism (or helmet or seat belt), but assume he used some sort of dual motor driver. Let’s just say he didn’t make any friends — for himself or his fellow roboticists.

The AI named Samantha in the sci-fi movie, HER is the latest attempt by the film industry to depict the possibilities of human-computer interaction and bonding. The concept of human bonding to a computer, robot, or other machine isn’t new — sci-fi writers have been exploring the issue since at least the early ’50s. Then, there’s the classic Eliza psychotherapist program from the ’60s, and the bonding between user and the ubiquitous cell phone. Still, the film has value in reminding us of what makes a good computer/robot/phone-human interface, and what doesn’t.

I’ve been using a walking cane for about three months. I have a high-tech version made of indestructible epoxy with a knob handle, and two old-fashioned ‘C’ handle canes made of white hickory. One of the canes is notched in strategic areas for easy gripping in self-defense situations. Fortunately, I don’t really have to use a cane. I’m still able to run for a couple hours at a time with no difficulty. No, I’m not out to make a fashion statement. I use a cane because I’m working on a mobility assistance project that leverages robotic technology to assist the elderly and the injured. I use the cane because I need to know — first-hand — their strengths, weaknesses, and how they might be improved.

Civilian drones crisscrossing the skies, delivering packages from Amazon — perhaps with a “drone click” button added to their “one click” option — seems inevitable. The first crucial step was taken on December 30, 2012, when the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) identified the five states that would host research into civilian drone use: Alaska, Nevada, New York, Texas, and Virginia. Alaska and Nevada seem like no-brainers, given the open space and military drone testing already well established in these states.

If you’ve devoted much time experimenting with robot arms, then you’ve undoubtedly spent considerable time and money repairing the servos and motors. I’ve probably fused a half dozen HiTec servos on one robot arm alone. I never really appreciated the abuse I subjected the servos to until I added club swinging — essentially swinging metal and wooden bats in circular paths around the body — to my exercise routine of kettle bells and free weights. It’s one thing to look at torque specs on a spreadsheet and quite another to experience dynamic variances in torque involving your own shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints.

Using fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) to view blood flow in the brain, medical researchers can determine how someone will react to a stimulus before that person is consciously aware of their reaction. That is, our brain precomputes the necessary neuromuscular signals to, say, avoid a slap to the wrist before we consciously move our hand to avoid that slap. In this way, we subconsciously predict the future. This makes sense, if you think about it. Because the propagation of signals in our biochemical communications network is orders of magnitude slower than electrical signals in a length of copper wire, our movements would be erratic and clumsy without some preparation time.

Biomimetics — also known as biological mimicry — has contributed to robotic design since at least the time of William Walter’s turtles in the 1950s. Leonardo da Vinci’s design for flying suits that mimicked the wings of birds is probably the first technological application of biomimetics. Unfortunately, material science wasn’t advanced enough to support his visions.